A Block at the Net

Louis slumped in his chair... she was in fine form today! Louis almost whispered, and he was breathing deeply to prevent both an outburst and the misting of his eyes.

"Yasmina, when you sue for harassment, it's not against an individual, it's against your employer... I'm all alone against Council, General Management and HR in front of an arbiter. That being said, Daniel may have become a peddler who sold his soul and his signature to please his promoter Gods but I have known him for almost 20 years, so I reiterate: he is not a bigot. Plus, think of the diversity in our group; we have Latinos, Africans, Asians, Europeans, and more women than men; some of the men are openly gay and at least one is legally married; we have Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, even a Falun Gong and what not! If we were not busy being dismantled as a Department for no fault other than honoring our professional duties, we could be hailed as the picturesque triumph of Canadian multiculturalism, all in a single office floor! What else can I say to reassure you? You have every right to wish that your private parts remain private, which means that your secret is not mine to tell. Period. I meant what I said about being a friend. I will do all I can to make sure you thrive here so you can live happily with your sons and your husban..."

"WILL YOU CAN IT WITH THE HUSBAND!!!" She had snapped at Louis... hard. Upon seeing his incredulous and questioning gaze, Yasmina lost it and meekly cried, while putting shamefully in evidence her wedding band. "Louis... there never was A husband..." Yasmina finished her confession in a barely audible squeak "... I was... the husband!"

"Ho..." now Louis was in full panic mode, clueless as what to do. He rose from his chair, instinctively going for a hug, but stopped dead in his tracks; he offered Yasmina his box of tissues instead. Yasmina sniffled, snickered and then almost crushed him in a bear hug. Louis did not dare move. Truth be told, it felt great to him and he hoped it would be the same for her. It was finally interrupted by a chime from his computer.

"You have an early meeting?" Yasmina was loosening her grip somewhat.

"Arbitration and depositions." She released him from her grip and Louis proceeded to assemble his pile of documented files and affidavits.

"I'm sorry Louis... and I wish you good luck. You deserve to be happy... and you shouldn't be alone!"

"Thank you, Yasmina... coming from you, it means a lot to me."

But, from there, her sentiment ground to a dead halt. Yasmina chose the opposite team during their noontime volley-ball session. She dug in even deeper and quieter inside her cubicle, which no one had thought possible. They almost never crossed paths anymore, which was not beyond explanation, but it was still disheartening.

Determined to keep the flicker of their friendship alive, Louis kept on greeting her at her cubicle in the morning, to a reply of minimal courtesy. By Skype - Louis knew better than to use the office e-mail - he offered to march with her at the Ottawa Pride Parade, in August, only to see her disconnect the conversation without a reply. All the while he was sulking, Louis was coming to terms with the fact that the situation affected him more than the loss a potential friend should. More stress and anguish is not what he had hoped for...

4. The Festival

They say time heals all wounds... and on a City contract, it confirms permanence. Louis had not closely followed Yasmina's employment timeline so he was surprised and elated to read the e-mail from the Geomatics section chief confirming the milestone. Louis sent her a very professional, but very laudatory, e-mail of congratulations. And he had the surprise of her coming in his office that very afternoon, her first time in almost two months, carrying a box of Kinder Surprise Eggs. She did not close the door.

"Louiiiis... do you how these candies ended up on my chair?"

He mimed "guilty as charged" before elaborating aloud "I don't know Yasmina but, when you think about it, whoever gave them to you had an inspired idea! If it turns out you don't like chocolate milk, you still have a bunch of surprises for your sons. Maybe they will enjoy building the toys so much that they later become engineers... it's a very noble profession, you know?"

He finally got the smile he had waited half the summer for. She mimed "thank you" and replied "Okay then, I'll ask around... good afternoon!" while leaving an egg on his desk.

Moments later, Louis got another unexpected call from Yasmina, this time a last-minute Outlook appointment to discuss the mapping of his O/D findings. Louis was both puzzled and thrilled; he picked up his reports, model data and notebook, then he headed to the small conference room that she had booked.

Yasmina came in just after him and Louis, amazed, could have sworn she was blushing. He was also amazed by the way she could look so professional and dazzling at the same time, with her hair tied in a ponytail with a golden ribbon, an off-white sleeveless shirt, tan slim pants, short heels, long earrings and a thin chocker necklace. If she wore make-up, it was designed to conceal and not accentuate her features. And, to his great delight, her smile was beaming.

She sat in front of him and, for less than a second, gravity combined with her neckline gave a hint of her cleavage, which Louis noticed, both with his eyes and his loins. Seldom had he felt so destabilized before a meeting and he felt his breathing quicken. There was no denying the effect she was having on him. And then... Yasmina asked Louis to outline the preliminary conclusions of his O/D report and asked his requirements for maps and visual aids. She mentioned that she volunteered for the project and asked for his timetable.

But something was off in her behavior: Louis felt sure, by the sly malice in her smile, that she was teasing him on purpose. What for, he could not fathom, and since their conversation was legitimate, he played along. It was while she was flipping the pages of a report that Yasmina discreetly forwarded a folded note. While she was discussing aloud scale and projections, Louis read it.

LOUIS, I HAVE TWO ADULT PASSES FOR THE HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEND WITH ME? PLEASE SAY YES.

Louis had not even started breathing yet that his head was nodding in assent. While Yasmina was wrapping up the quick meeting, her smile widened and Louis jumped from his chair when her leg gently rubbed against his, with very deliberate slowness. Yasmina giggled and left the conference room, never to leave her cubicle for the rest of the day, to the disappointment of a very excited and frustrated Louis. The one thought that completely took hold of his psyche was figuring how to wait for... eight days. Eight days of trepidation, yes, but eight days to figure out where this newfound relationship was going and what did he want out of it.

What helped Louis in that regard was that, during the following days at the office, the daily routine with Yasmina was somewhat restored, with her gorgeous smile and snippets of trivial conversations in his doorway. After both of the weekly volley-ball games, Louis could swear Yasmina was doing more than just a high-five... but maybe he was so excited by now that he imagined subtle caresses. Louis felt like he was freefalling upwards, for lack of a better metaphor. Appearances be damned, he searched on the Yellow Pages website and, from her home address, he obtained the phone number of her landline and called her on Wednesday night.

"Si allo?"

"Good evening, Yasmina, it's Louis-Charles. Is this a good time to call?" He thought he heard her softly curse and was worried he had just made a terrible mistake.

"Louis, I am glad you called. Truly I am... but I am cleaning up the table and supervising homework right now. Could I please call you back when the boys are in bed?"

He sighed in silent relief. "Of course, Yasmina. Call whenever you are free." He ended the call after giving her his coordinates and confirming them by e-mail shortly afterwards.

She called shortly after ten o'clock. Her voice was low and sultry. "Good evening, Louis."

"Good evening, Yasmina. Are the boys sleeping? And I'm sorry for calling during homework time. I hadn't realized school had started."

"It's the first week of classes and I'm just reestablishing the routine. They have been sleeping for a little while, now... to be truthful, Louis, I needed to steady myself before calling... I am nervous like you would not believe."

"I think I can relate and I am glad you called."

"I am also glad you called. Before we talk about Friday, I want to thank you, Louis."

"You're welcome, then... but what are you thanking me for?"

"That evening had really screwed me up, Louis... I think you know that now; and I apologize if I hurt you. I was behaving like I do when I'm looking for a fling and I ended up having a friend instead. A true friend, who knows all about me and who wants to be my friend anyway. I did not expect that and I'm a little amazed you didn't give up on me. Louis, it took me a long time to figure it out, but now I know... I want to live moments with you. At least as friends, maybe something more; but that, of course, we can both find out with time."

She paused, listening to Louis breathing very deeply at the end of the line. "Did I overdo it, Louis? Are you freaking out right now? Please, don't be afraid of me... and I know what you think of office romances but..."

"Yasmina..."

"Yessss?"

"I am flattered and thrilled by your offer. I wish I could have thought things through like you did but I meant what I said back at the meet: I AM your friend..."

"And so am I, Louis!"

"I believe you, Yasmina, and I am elated that you are. Plus, if you must know, my heart is all over the place at the prospect of maybe something more. It will kill me to just greet you at the office until Friday afternoon. Your invitation has made me very excited and I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I cannot wait to get to know you better. Your sons too, if you allow it. Yasmina, I have not felt this way for many many years... we are not even together yet and I am already happy. Now, I remember what I told you about office romances and my mind agrees with it... but I am not thinking with my mind right now..."

"Ohhh? What are you thinking with, Louis?"

"My heart, mostly... I feel like a fly going toward a light; I cannot stop even if I know I might get burned. And my loins are pitching in, too... I know I frequently compliment your appearance at the office, but tonight I can finally admit how beautiful and attractive I find you... I really do."

"Louis... I hear you... and I'm shaking all over. You have always been so nice to me, so good to me... I want this so much, but you deserve to be happy... I don't want to hurt you Louis. So, last call: are we doing this, Louis?"

"We are doing this, Yasmina. It starts in about 40 hours and I can't wait."

"Neither can I, Louis."

They chatted mostly logistics and office trivia afterwards, before a yawn from Yasmina reminded these old kids it was bedtime. Just like flirting teenagers in puppy love, they made a countdown and a synchronized hang-up.

All day Thursday, Louis behaved like a child not wanting to wait until Christmas to open his gift packages. In his defense, Yasmina was a package begging to be opened, with her neckline lower, her skirt shorter, her heels higher, her make-up bolder and her jewelry shinier; she was the source of wolf whistles from the men and gossip from the ladies; she found all sorts of excuses to strut in front of Louis' office and enjoy the slow torture she was inflicting him.

She played right beside him during the noontime volley-ball game, and every time they both blocked at the net, Louis felt a jolt of excitement. On one of those occasions, Yasmina leaped so much higher than Louis that he brushed up her breast... that made her yelp and him tumble down, embarrassed and completely aroused. Yasmina marveled at the effect she has on HIM; him who knows! She was counting the hours until Friday 5h00 PM with so much impatience and hope.

Alone at home with his wildest thoughts, by Thursday night Louis was a wreck. "Good evening Yasmina, it's Louis-Charles. Is this a good time to call?"

"Yes, Louis... unless you are calling to cancel tomorrow!"

"Not a chance... I wanted to wish you good night and..." an unexpected pause ensued.

"And? ... Louis?"

"I'm sorry if I stall, Yasmina... I want to tell you something... but I don't know if I should... it's embarrassing..."

"Does it have to do with the game today? Because I'm OK with it, really; in fact your not-so-subtle tit rub really cracked me up!"

"A little..." truth was, Yasmina was surprised Louis remained serious instead of adding to the banter.

"Then what is it? I won't bite... yet!"

"Yasmina... I have cum all over me." Now Louis heard her gasp.

"What are you sayi... from me?"

"Yes... I just masturbated thinking about you. Twice. And it was... GOOD... I cannot deny it, Yasmina, you arouse me like crazy!"

"Then why do you sound worried or sad, Louis?"

"Because I'm 41 years old! Because I watched shemale porn on Redtube! Because I fear I have cheapened a relationship that has barely started! Yasmina, I want to be with you and know YOU... not just your genitals! I regret telling you this already, but I also don't want to hide anything from you! What have you done to me? I'm drooling over the thought of you!!! I'm..."

"Louis..."

"Yesss?"

"I am glad you told me; in fact, I'm more than glad, I am happy. You should know that you have just made my cock rock-hard in less than 15 seconds... Louis, I'm stroking myself right now... mmmmh... thinking about you. You excite me too, you know... mmmh... all day today I wanted to get in your office and rape your mouth with my tongue and maul your chest with my hands while you sit on that nice big chair of yours... mmmmh aaaargh! Louis, I'm stroking faster now, and my dick is... throbbing... for you... God I want your ass, Louis!!! I hope you give it to meeee aaaAAARGH!!" Nothing... silence. Louis then heard her forced breathing: she was trying to get a hold on her heartbeat.

"Yasmina, are you alright?"

"Yes, baby, I feel quite alright... and now it seems we are both wet with cum. Louis, listen to me, please. I am happy you told me this and that we... shared... this. You have not cheapened anything; quite the opposite, I feel sexy... I feel pretty, Louis!"

"Of course you are... have you even seen yourself today?"

"Louis, the fact is I am a giantess and a freak..."

"Please never say that again! And no crap about beauty and the eye of the beholder either! I did not bribe anybody to whistle you today, you know! You ARE pretty! You ARE sexy as hell! And you are loved!"

"Louis... what are you saying?"

"I'm sorry I blurted it out like that... but I still mean it! I love you; tomorrow I aim for the fairy tale with you; and I promise I will never hurt you!" Silence again. "Yasmina?"

"Louis... now you really asked for it! You watch me tomorrow morning... and I swear it will kill me as much as you!"

"Well, then I die happy. And I just can wait. I'm going to try to sleep now, so tomorrow comes quicker. Again, I wish you good night, darling, and sweet dreams."

"Louis?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too, you know... thank you for your call, and sweet dreams to you too, baby."

---

It was cloudy and warm that Friday afternoon. Louis was waiting nervously, still in his office attire that was well suited for the weather. He was happy that, cloud cover notwithstanding, the events of the evening would take place as planned, as the wind was perfect for hot air ballooning. He had correctly deduced that Yasmina needed some time to set up her babysitter and change her office torture vamp outfit into more proper outdoors clothing.

"Peekaboo!" The nervousness Louis felt morphed into trepidation; he gently put his hands over hers, he uncovered his eyes and turned around to greet her.

"Good evening Yasmina."

"Good evening Louis."

It was all that needed to be said. When they both saw the mutual hope and hunger in each other's eyes, Louis squeezed tenderly her hands and they moved in for their first kiss. At first contact, their lips were already thick and moist and both reveled in each other's taste. Louis then let go of her hands and they hugged closer into their kiss, Louis caressing her back and her neck, Yasmina caressing his cheeks in her palms. Soon their mingling tongues added a layer of playful passion on top of their unspoken, but very clear, promise of love. It was magical; it was eternal; it was also sort of a nuisance as they would not let go of each other right in front of the entry booth and the grumble of passersby brought them back to reality.

They watched each other, laughing and breathing heavily. "Oh yea, baby... we are definitely doing this!"

"We sure are! Come in the park, Yasmina... is it really your first festival?" Saying that, Louis patted her butt, to her ongoing delight.

"Yes it is... what is happening tonight?"

"Well, there will be a take-off soon, so we get to watch that together. When the balloons will be out of sight, I will buy you very unhealthy food and we could try some rides or arcade games. The concert tonight is Les Cowboys Fringants and there is a night illumination when the balloons return, which is my very favorite thing. We also get to get to know one another and discuss our future."

"And where in that plan do you give me your delicious ass?" Louis had heard that tone, the one of the predator, on the phone 17 hours ago... now he got to see the predator as well. She was well camouflaged for her hunting environment, dressed in very comfortable fall cotton attire, walking sneakers and barely noticeable makeup. It was the hunger and lust in her very intense gaze that gave her away.

"Not tonight, darling."

"How come?" Louis was worried he was disappointing her already; Yasmina was worried, despite yesterday, he would not dare be intimate with her.

"For one thing, I want to prove to you, and to myself, that we will be more than a series of booty calls. I really want the fairy tale, Yasmina. I have to admit, though, that you do not make that easy; today, I wanted nothing more than pounce on you, to suck on your neck and nipples like crazy and also to maul your butt cheeks. You always look so beautiful... but you were right about this morning: you were killing me!" She felt her heart flutter.

"Speak for yourself, baby! The only reason I didn't bend you over your desk and spear you right then and there was that I knew that the flimsy excuse for wood you have as a desk would snap!" Yasmina expected lust from him, maybe nervousness, but she saw tenderness instead.

"You really mean it, don't you? It's not banter or bravado... you really WANT me? What the hell do you see in baggy old me, Yasmina? How can I be such an object of desire for you? And, believe me, I am thrilled about it!" They were walking alongside the take-off area, hand in hand; it felt natural; it felt unforced; it felt like a perfect fit should. They were watching the balloons inflate - soon some would be buoyant and lift off - and courting themselves in the process.

"I wish I could explain it to you, Louis, that I could convince you... because I fear if I say that you are magnificent, you will scoff. Louis, baby, I have been pining for you for months, almost since the day I met you. Do you remember, Louis, when you walked with me in the federal building, to show me where the Post office was?" Louis blushed.

"Yes I do... I had to constantly remind myself not to take your hand." Yasmina blushed right back.